Circuit breaker



Aug. 9 1927. 7'

F. J. FENCL cmcum BREAKER Filed March 26, 1925 Patented Aug. 9, 1927.

manta-Enrica or omca'eo, rumors.

. 1 er-noun BREAKER.

App1icationifi1ed March 26, 1825. .S eria1nKo.-.l8,358.

The invention relatesto.. circuit? breakers :and more particularly to those circuit break- ..ei's which are operated, by clocks.

.One object of. theinventiomis to provide 51a. "clockoperated circuit breaker oftnewtand ."irn'proved construction in .which .provision is made forrapidly openinga circu'it so that ,-.areing. or fusing of the switch contacts is eel'iminated.

.Another -object of the invention ais to ;;prvide a, circuit breaker whioh- :issimple. in construction and. may be; produced: ati-a-low west. The invention consists. in the ,several :novel :features hereinafter set forth-and more. par- .tioulanly-wdefined. by the claimsat!v the con- .qc-lusioni hereof.

I .In the drawing: Fig. 1 is a .',frontview ,ofua. clock embodying the invention. :F-ig 2 is a side elevation of the -new.aa1d.;irnproved =oircu-it breaker and the clock .mechanism adapted to operate. same. is. aside elevation of they-invention, showing. itsin its loperative position. F igh lisaa frontjview -;of-the.parts showntin Eiga 2. -Fig...-5- is a. perspective of. one. of. the; leaf.- springs ,-used in;actuating thecirouit breaker. Fig.-;6 '.is ,a :detail perspective --of the g pivot member iatndportions of thepartsassociated thereywvith. @Figfi? iswa perspective iofbhQ-P'lvot lanlember. l y

'Theiinventionis-exemplified W lbhlflclock comprising the usual enclosing .housing 10 with-in which isa q: frame-work 11 :for: supporting thevarious clock trains: and mecha- .nism as well ,understoodain-the-.=art. :The new and improved circuit breaker -isc1dis- -;posed:-within the clock housing .10.:a-nd-gcomprises a pair of arm or lever membersll2 formed *from 'sheet:-..n,1e-tal and centrally pivoted by pin and slot connections 13, 13', to a pair of supports 14 which also are formed from sheet metal and are secured or riveted, as at 15, to the framework 11. The inner ends of lever members 12 are pivoted, as at 16, to a pivot member 17. Disposed between said pivot member 17 and the supports 14 are a pair of leaf springs 18, the inner ends of which are notched, as at 19, to interfit with notches 20 formed in the pivot member 17, as shown in Fig. 6. The outer ends of springs 18 are notched, as at 21, and are adapted to interfit with notches 22 formed in the supports 14, so that the springs will be securely held against displacement. The springs 18 are normally under l tensionv-and; are :disposedin such a manner that when the arm: members 1.2 are indead center; position, asshown iii-Fig. 2, no pressure isrexentedao change or alter: theposition of. the .-arm.:1nembers. WVhen the arm members 12 zareamoved out-ofitheir dead (center position, the-springs 18 will-- tend" to .expand and cause. the: inner ends ofthe arm .members to-rapidly .move inwardly. The in- :neaends of said-earmumembers-are so formed that they abut against. each other while: in their dead center position in such a m anner that outward -movement'.of: the arn] men "EbfllS 1 ispr'evented. The outer end'ofone i of. the-arm" members 12 is provided a. with an :extension 112' whichvisradapted to .form a switch: contact, which, when the :arm members are in the position shown-inJFig. 2,-w.ill ,tabuhagainst a spni-ng. contact 2 1 to [close aanyssuitablecircuit; suchas a; radio oralarm circuit. rGontact=24 isseoured tozthei framework 11 and insulated therefrom-by:-.suiteableinsulatingi material 245.. JVhen the: a rm :members are .-.actuated .by the: springs .18,v .their movement will -beso "rapid-r that no arcingor i fusing ,of the contacts .12 and .24

will occur. I

The;.1-onte1-endof. theao'ther arm member :12 iseextendedc to i form :a -portion 1 2 .av-hich is adapted to be actuated to..1novethe inner .ends,of the anmi 12 inwardly andoutpofthcir dead center position The mechanism {for actuating; portion j 12" comprises -a :gear disposed (adjacent said portion. and; mounte d. on a shaft .-.26 "which .-is journalled in i. the :frameworklll trend-1a gear .27, -nieshing-with -gear. .25. land rotatably mounted oinasha'ft 528. .journalled in said framework and adapted to beodrivenbby the-clock train: andi mechatruism, Shafeso is provided. at. its. rear: end with a knurled head 29 so that it may be manually rotated. The outer end of said shaft extends through the time dial 31 of the clock and is provided with an index pointer 32 which is adapted to indicate on a dial 33. A pin34 is secured to shaft 26 adjacent gear 25 and is adapted to engage a collar'35 on said gear. Gear 25 is pressed outwardly by a spring 36 so that the collar 35 will engage pin 34 at all times. The collar is provided with a notch 37, so that when the pin registers therewith, gear 25 will be shifted out: wardly by spring 36 against the portion 12 of the arm member 12 to actuate the circuit breaker and cause the circuit between the contacts 12 and 24 to be broken. A shaft till ' sha t 38 rearwardly, the circuit breaker may 38 is slidably mounted in the framework 11 and is provided with a pair of arms 39, ada ted to straddle portion 12. By pulling be set into its dead-center and position. V y

In practice, a conductor 40, connected to a radio receiving circuit or the like, will be connected to contact 24 and a return conductor 41 will be connected to'the framework 11. Shaft 38 will be pulled outwardly, thereby placing the circuit breaker in its inoperative and dead center position. Shaft 26 will then be rotated to adjust the index pointer 32 and setthe period at which time the circuit is to be broken. 'When the predetermined time is reached, pin 34 will come into registration with the notch 37 and gear 25 will be pressed outwardly by spring 36 against the portion 12 on one of the arm members 12, thereby causing the members 12 inoperative to be moved inwardly and out of their dead center position, whereupon springs 18 will cause a rapid inward movement of the members 12 and the portion or contact 12 will become disengaged from the contact 24 and the circuit broken.

The invention exemplifies a new and im proved circuit breaker which is simple in construction and which may be-produced at a low cost.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth, sincethese may be modified within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention,what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A circuit breaker comprising a pair of supporting ,members, a pair of arms pivoted to said members by pin and slot connections, a member pivotally connected to the inner ends of said arms, means for preventing the arms from moving in one direction past their substantiall dead-center position, leaf springs between t e supporting members and said member for shiftin said arms and member in the opposite direction after the arms have been moved out of said position, 60

controlled by one of said arms.

3. A circuitbreaker comprising a pair of sup orting members, a pair of arms central y pivoted to said members by pin and slot connections, a member pivotally' connected to the inner ends of said arms, means for preventin outward movement of said arms beyond their substantially dead-center position, springs between the sup orting members and said member for shifting the arms and member inwardly after the arms have been moved out of said position, and switch means controlled by the outer end of one of said arms.

4. In combination with a clock comprising a frame and a gear train, a circuit breaker comprising a pair of supporting members secured to the frame, a pair of arms centrally pivoted to said supports by pin and slot connections, a member pivotally connected to the inner ends of said arms, means for reventing the arms from moving in one irection past their substantially dead-center osition, means controlled by the gear train or operating the outer end of one of said arms to move the arms out of said position, spring means for shifting said arms and member after movement has been imparted thereto by said means, and switch means controlled by the outer end of the other arm.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 23rd day of March, 1925.

FRANK J. FE NCL. 

